on inflation? how would that work? caller: what i mean is that you have a flat rate where the bankers or whoever the people are that materialize money out of thin air, with interest rates in cryptocurrencies, the blockchain. wherever this money comes out of thin air, there needs to be a cap, because otherwise it prices everybody out being able to afford to live someplace. it is passing the cost to mothers who are unpaid, people who are unpaid. moms in a marriage -- both people instantly -- host: sorry, i had to cut you off. we will take you over to the house, about to gavel in. thanks for watching, everybody. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2025] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] the clerk: the speaker's rooms, washington, d.c. july 16, 2025. i hereby appoint the honorable

marlon h. stutzman, to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, mike johnsoner, of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of january 3, 2025, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. the chair will alternate recognition between the parties with time equally allocated between the parties and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and minority whip limited to five minutes, but in no event shall debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. the chair recognizes the gentleman from minnesota, mr. emmer, for five minutes. mr. emmer: mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize saint michael mayor keith who is retiring later this month. for nearly 20 years the mayor has been a fixture in the saint

michael community. after serving in the united states navy for more than 26 years, keith returned home to minnesota determined to continue driving positive change in his community. keith's service in local government began with the role on the city's planning and zoning commission. he was later elected to the city council where he served until being elected mayor in 2020. throughout keith's time in office, he has been a staunch defender of fiscal responsibility. having slashed the city's debt in half. and he's also been in an invaluable partner as we have worked to fund transportation and infrastructure projects in saint michael and the surrounding communities. thanks to keith's leadership, saint michael has flourished. his dedication and vision over the years have made the saint michael community a better place to live, work, and raise a family. we are deeply grateful to the mayor for h.r. his service to the saint michael community, and

we wish him and his wife and their two children all the best in the next chapter. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. quigley, for five minutes. mr. quigley: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, diversity has become a bad word here in d.c., but diversity has never been a weakness, it's always been our greatest strength. without the calculations of katherine johnson, a black mathematician at nasa, american astronauts may never have successfully returned from space. without the code talkers, native americans who turned their indigenous language noose an unbreakable -- breakable -- unbreakable code, american soldiers may not have been victorious in the second world war. without the bravery of the tuskegee airmen who flew abroad, the freedom of all americans might have been at risk.

throughout this nation's history, countless people have had to fight for their right to be included. my good friend, brad lang, and his father, donald, are powerful examples of that fight. in 1942, donald w. lang sr. enlisted in the army with dreams of become ago pilot. like many men at the time, donald felt it was his duty to serve his country. but despite scoring well on the aptitude test, he, like many other qualified black men, was forced to wait while white pilots was fasting tracked for training. by the time he was at the tuskegee institute in alabama in 1945, the second world war was coming to a close. while he never made it overseas, mr. lang rose to the rank of master sergeant at the army air corps, received three medals for his service, and served directly under colonel parish, the commander of the tuskegee it --

tuskegee program. he didn't open up about his military service until his son showed an interest in aviation in the 70's. on sundays after church he would take his family to newark airport to watch flights take off and land of the that's where brad's fascination with airline flying began. a decade later he achieved what his father couldn't do, brad earned his pilot's license in college before enrolling as the only black student in purdue university's aviation program. at a time when black pilots were still rare, he became a captain for delta airlines. through it all he never forgot to pay homage to those who made his career in aviation possible. he volunteered with the commemorative air force red tail squadron for 29 years, to ensure his father's legacy and that of the tuskegee airmen is preserved and shared. in 2015, brad participated in

the arsenal of democracy flyover to mark the 70th anniversary of victory in europe. he flew a p-51c mustang, tuskegee airmen over the capitol, in a tribute to our nation's first black military pilots. he once said about his father, his experience at tuskegee was a paramount experience for him in terms of directing his life after the military. he would always relate to the discipline and the moral integrity that was part of the esprit de corps that was at tuskegee. he was motivated to see other people like himself, motivated to aviate and also fight for their country. they all had that common core experience. brad and his father's story is an american story. it is the story of a father whose dreams were denew, and a son who honored his legacy by breaking barriers of his own. it is a story of persistence,

pride, and progress. brad captured it best when he said, no matter what the circumstances that you are up against, it is possible to rise against adversity, just like the airmen did, and succeed. their stories remind us that american progress has also depended on those who persevered in the face of prejudice. their story shows that diversity is not a threat nor a weakness. it is a competitive advantage. it is a source of national strength. has driven innovation, expanded opportunity, and common theme throughout our shared american story. in a time of rising division, these stories call upon to us remember who we are at our best. a nation that does not just tolerate differences, but draws power from them. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the representative yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. mcclintock, for five minutes. mr. mcclintock: mr. speaker, the

big, beautiful bill is now the law. so it's no longer a theoretical discussion about what the bill might do. we are about to find out what it will do. the democrats have succeeded in frightening americans into lopsided opposition. on the day it passed the house, one poll registered just 29% public support for it compared to 55% opposition. this is has encouraged democrats to double down on their hysterical warnings of societal collapse, warnings they hope will continue to resonate with the public. but what they don't seem to grasp is that you can't spend the economy. everybody knows in their own lives exactly how the economy's doing, and any politician who tries to tell them otherwise just looks foolish. remember when the democrats were telling us for years that bidenomics was working. the only economic indicator that

matters is the answer americans give to this question. are you better off today than you were two years ago? now, americans may never realize that this bill protected them from a 22% income tax increase that was set to take effect on january 1. a family making $75,000 a year won't feel its taxes rise $1,500 so it won't feel relief from this provision. we don't feel what doesn't happen. and democrats are counting on this fact while stoking class resentments over tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. but millionaires and billionaires don't work for tips. and they don't get paid overtime. and they don't rely on social security. working families do. and for the first time the big, beautiful bill shields these earnings from being taxed. in addition, residents of high tax states will fill a big -- feel a big reduction in their

federal income tax bill. yes, businesses get relief, too. those awful millionaires and billionaires, mainly in their ability to deduct 100% of their experiences for manufacturing purposes. that means that manufacturers of every variety will add equipment to their plants, increasing the productivity, and the pay of existing workers and adding new jobs to make that equipment. by opening america's vast energy resources, domestic production's about to rev up. a declaration of american energy independence that will ecothroughout the entire economy. add the completion of the border wall and removal of millions of illegal aliens that the democrats allow food our country, under biden most of the new jobs were snapped up by foreigners. and real wages fell. under trump most are going to americans and real wages for americans are rising again as employers are forced to pay a market rate for labor. the democrats' mantra that

millions of destitute americans will lose their medicaid coverage is about to be challenged by reality. the fact is, the only groups losing coverage are able-bodied grown-ups who refuse to get off the couch and look for work. illegal aliens who refuse to go home. and fraudsters. so what happens when millions of legitimate medicaid recipients who have been terrified by the democrats realize that their benefits are untouched? we are going to find out. will the national debt balloon? only if you accept the assumption that the economy's going to grow at an anemic 1.8% next year. the average 20th century growth rate including the depression was 3.3%. a mere 3% growth rate will generate $4 trillion of new revenues. and that doesn't include hundreds of billions of dollars collected from imports or saved by eliminating waste identified by doge.

how will average americans fair? they'll be paying significantly lower taxes than they are today. especially if they work for tips or overtime or over 65 or have children or live in high tax states. wages long undercut by cheap illegal labor are already rising. factories that make or buy equipment will be making and buying a lot more of it. no one unable to work will lose their medicaid benefits. their neighborhoods will be safer as criminal illegals are deported and not allowed to return. their energy bills will be lower. and if all this relief creates just average economic growth, the deficit will begin to shrink. which brings us back to the simple question that we put to people next year. are you better off today than you were two years ago? obnoxious protests, hysterical rhetoric, and rome odunze trolling won't change that simple and self-evident answer.

one party will have been proven undeniably right, and the other mendaciously wrong. i think that's what the democrats fear the most. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the representative yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. kennedy, for five minutes. mr. kennedy: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to honor the 75th birthday celebration of first lady and co-pastor of miracle missions full gospel church, zandra lewis a remarkable woman of faith, service, and compassion. for over five decades she has faithfully ministered alongside her husband, pastor dr. james a. lewis the third. together they built a spiritual home, grounded in prayer, love, and community. but lady zandr's impact goes beyond the pulpit.

she's a counselor to women and teens in crisis. a tireless advocate for our most vulnerable. above all she's a selfless spiritual resource for those who need it most. lady zandra leads not just with words but action. meeting people where they are. loving them as they are. and lifting them up with boundless grace and compassion. she lives her life grounded in faith, forgiveness, and a deep sense of joy. for lady zandra, family is everything, and nothing is more important. she's the proud mother of four, grandmother to eight, and great grandmother to six. but her love doesn't stop there. over the years she's opened her heart to so many others who now lovingly call her mom. that says everything about the type of person that she is. as we celebrate her 735th birthday -- 75th birthday, we give thanks not only for what

she's done but what she will do in the many years ahead. we look forward with gratitude for all that is yet to come. on behalf of a grateful nation, thank you, lady zandra lewis, for everything that you do for our community. a happy 75th birthday. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the memory of arthur "duke" zarati, a legendary coach and mentor whose reach extended beyond the field who passed away on april 14, 2025. for over two decades at grover cleveland high school, he led his teams to 160 wins, 12 harvard cups, 10 section titles, and five yale cups, including a 28-game winning streak. but his greatest victories were off the field. the coach wasn't just

he was focused on the well-being of his players. he understood the challenges they faced off the field and made it his mission to create a safe, supportive environment for them. during football season, he would host game nights at his own home on fridays, not just for fun, but to keep his players safe, out of trouble, and focused before their big games on saturday. he opened his heart and his home to young people who needed more than a coach. they needed a lifeline. through football, basketball and track, he instilled discipline, dignity and hope. his son, mike, said it best. he had a burning passion for helping, coaching and teaching kids from any part of the country. that passion shaped lives and strengthened our city. even after they graduated, former players often came back to visit him. that tells you everything you need to know about the kind of impact he had, his door was always open, and his care didn't

end with the final whistle. inducted into the buffalo sports hall of fame in 2023, arthur leaves behind not only his sons, michael and david, and his four beloved grandchildren, but a generation of men and women whose lives were forever changed by his belief in them. western new york is better because of his mentorship. our nation is better because of his life and his service to our community. may coach ser ati rest in peace -- serati rest in peace. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the representative yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. arrington, for five minutes. mr. arrington: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor dr. ted mitchell, chancellor of the texas tech university system, for 15 years of dedicated service to red rader nation and the great state of texas. i'm honored to have worked with chancellor mitchell over the years and proud to call him and

his wonderful wife, janet, dear friends. chancellor mitchell successfully led texas tech university system to new levels of growth, discovery and educational excellence during his term. i wish him the very best as he enters a new chapter of his life. we have a great team of regionents chaired by my friend -- regents chaired by my friend and i'm confident they'll find the right leader but they'll have big shoes to fill, no doubt, with chancellor mitchell's departure. congratulations, ted, on behalf of the people of west texas, thank you for bearing our banner far and wide and modeling what it means to be a true, fearless champion. god bless west texas. and long live the matador. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the lives lost in the catastrophic floods that struck central texas over the fourth of july weekend. at least 134 lives have been

taken, including 27 young girls and counselors at camp mystic, in kerr county. this is an unimaginable and heartbreaking loss for these families and for our great state. i also want to remember constituents from my district whose lives were lost. tanya burwick was the epitome of a hardworking west texan. wife to robert, married with four children and six grandchildren. and yet she did it all while working for the past 10 years at the wal-mart neighborhood market in st. angelo, texas. out of commitment to her family. and their future. holly frazell was also a mother and grandmother, married for almost 40 years to her husband, lane, until he was diagnosed with dementia and ultimately passed away. so you can imagine the hardships on her in the last years of her marriage to lane. but she turned that tragedy and struggle into service, becoming

a tireless advocate for dementia awareness. and that's who she was. reflecting the very best of our country and certainly west texas, and that's why it's a major loss to our community. robert break and joany break, two people devoted to service. him an air force veteran, her a registered nurse. they were celebrating the fourth of july in a camp ground next to hunt, texas, when the flood overtook them. they leave behind three children, five grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. and they too will be missed. mr. speaker, texans as well as people throughout the country are mourning this unimaginable tragedy. we should honor them by trying for the same sacrificial love and service that they so powerfully and beautifully demonstrated in their lives and i would say that texans are tough for a lot of reasons but

mostly because we believe in the power of prayer and god's sovereignty. and because we depend on him for our comfort and confidence and strength and i know texans are appealing to the father of compassion and god of all comfort to do what only he can do, with these words and any words could never do, which is provide the divine comfort and peace and strength that these families need. and so i beseech my fellow americans and my members on both sides of the aisle, join us in prayer, and asking god to do what only he can do to lift these families up, to keep them strong and together through this every step of the way. may god bless our great country, may god comfort these families and go, west texas. the speaker pro tempore: the representative yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from texas, ms. johnson, for five minutes. ms. johnson: mr. speaker, i ask

unanimous consent to address the house for five minutes and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. johnson: mr. speaker, i rise today with a heavy heart to mourn the loss of so many lives across texas. we lost the hope of our future, so many children, so many beautiful girls, who just went to camp to have a good time, to bond with their friends, and to have that time that we all cherish in our memory and our own childhood. and too many lives have been lost and we have the responsibility as members of government to have a look at why, what happened, what could we do better and how can we make sure that things like this never, ever, ever, ever happen again. what we know unfortunately is

that partisan politics had a role. republicans have historically denied the ongoing effects of climate change and what is happening in our country. over the last decade we've had more and more intense storms, unexpected, throughout the entire country, but certainly in texas, we've had freetzs that have killed hundreds -- freezes that have killed hundreds of people and now we've had a one in a 100-year catastrophic rain storm that produced horrific floods and tragic loss of life. and what happened in this policy is that republicans at every level of government in our state failed the people of texas. at the local level, they refused to have support grants from the biden administration that would have put in place critical sirens and warning equipment that would have warned these kids at this camp to get out and flee and seek higher ground.

what we know is that communities that accepted these resources, they all survived. the warnings were worked. this community didn't want to accept help from a democrat and now we have hundreds of people that are dead. requests were made from the state to help, ultimately, and our governor denied requests three times for over a million dollars each time that would have, again, tried to provide warning equipment. again failing. and now what we have in our federal government is fema. fema is designed to be there as a last resort for communities when these unimaginable tragedies strike. fema trains and provides our first responders, the first line of defense, the people that go in and risk their lives at a time when it is most dangerous, and they can't do it alone, and

fema provides critical training, resources and s supplementation. fema is designed to have immediate response within a minimum of 15 hours. but under president trump and his canceling of fema, defunding fema, firing fema employees, terminating hundreds of fema employees, it was over 72 hours before critical resources were brought in to texas. 72 hours is critical when you're floating in a river and you need help. 72 hours makes the difference between life and death in these situations. and trump and our federal government failed. africa trina, we saw how -- after katrina, we saw how ineffective fema can be and what happens when government doesn't work and congress put in place

measures to better fema. one of those is you have to hire an experienced administrator of fema, someone who knows what they're doing, because this isn't a time to play around. and this administration hired as the director of fema somebody who didn't know whether a hurricane season existed. somebody who has no experience in this area. and then with our homeland security and secretary noem, she put in place measures, cost-cutting measures that catastrophically impacted what the response was in this situation. phone calls were never answered. the day after this flood happened, she canceled contracts of the people that answer the phone when you call for help. that is not the response that this government needs. and we have to do better. so i am calling upon my republican colleagues, i'm calling upon everyone in this

congress to have us come together. because these tragedies don't just affect texas. they can affect all of us. weather is violent and fierce and deadly. and it's inscript ant about where -- inscript ant about -- indiscrimination ant about where it strikes. we have the ability to fix it. i call on my colleagues to make sure these tragedies don't happen again. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from texas for five minutes. ms. de la cruz: good morning. today i rise to honor the brave service of mcallen police officer, ismail garcia, during the horrific attack on the mcallen border patrol facility

last week. when an active shooter opened fire, officer garcia did not hesitate to jump into action. he willingly put himself in harm's way to protect his brothers and sisters in blue and green. in the face of danger, he displayed valor, sacrifice and selflessness. when i visited him in recovery, he expressed pride in taking the bullet to protect others. officer garcia served our nation for four years in the marine corps, earning the combat action ribbon for his bravery. for nearly a decade since, he has continued to answer the call of duty as a mcallen police officer, and we wish him a speedy recovery. may god bless officer garcia,

our law enforcement, first responders and the border patrol. thank you, officer garcia, for your bravery and your courage. today i rise to recognize dr. james c. lee for his lifetime of service and dedication to the well-being of his fellow texans. originally born in houston, dr. lee made seguin his home in the late 1970's. for nearly three decades, he cared for patients of all ages and served as a founding member, treasurer and finance chair of the guadalupe regional medical foundation. he served on the medical center's governing board as chairman, and on the mhmr board,

helping those with disabilities and mental health needs access support. beloved by both patients and staff, dr. lee's presence will dearly be missed. but his work to help community members access their health care will live on. outside of his work in the medical field, he was a devout catholic, president of the seguin area chamber of commerce, a 50-year member of the knights of columbus, and 30-year member of the rotary club of seguin. dr. lee's legacy is remembered by his wife, janice, his four daughters, crystal, cynthia, kathryn, carol, and 10 grandchildren. thank you and i yield back. ...

the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from washington, ms. perez, for five minutes. ms. perez: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. perez: i rise today to celebrate the city of is etraila's 150th anniversary. my grandpa still talks with a glint in his eye about saving milk cap tops to go to the theater. we dream of this as the center of the country. not perfect, but honest. vibrant, furiously proud of its heritage, a correct pride based on real skill. deep neighborliness. aerationship -- relationship to our land and water of stewardship and necessity. not just exploitation or recreation. if you haven't made it, there is an excellent shop class, state winning athletics. their community college is one of the longest in existence with

some of the brightest and kindest students i have met. anti-mexican food is un-- and the mexican food is unrivaled. we thank all the people who keep this town and modeling for the country what is worth fighting for and over. mr. speaker, i ask consent -- many of us mourn the cultural shift in our country towards an identity that is oriented around what you can buy and flash on social media. but i rise today with deep pride in the 90 students representing 15 high schools in my district who placed in the statewide skills u.s.a. competition. these are young people who believe and manifest deep cultural regard for making things and doing things and being captains of their own ship. my husband actually placed in auto tech for skills u.s.a. in high school in oregon. it is still one of his proudest life accomplishments. and i know it will be for many of these students, too. i believe that every child who works hard should have the

opportunity to be the smartest kid in their school at some point in the day. and i applaud skills u.s.a. for ensuring that kids who are gifted in the trades whether it's carpentry, baking, robotics, or my favorite, auto tech, have the chance to be proud of who they are and have their skills recognized and honored. congratulations to everyone who placed in washington state skills u.s.a. competition. i'm so proud of you. i know your communities are, too. your work is central to the reinvigoration of economic self-determination and agency in america. mr. speaker, i rise today to celebrate roman wagner, 6-year-old from adna, with leukemia who became is etr etraila -- centralia police chief for a day. it honors the spirit of kids living with chronic ediseases. i know that good kids don't come from nowhere. it's long work to raise a fighter who believes in public service. i like to thank law enforcement agencies who have advanced the long work of building safe and

strong communities. to roman, i hope the power doesn't go to your head. i hope you don't go to the playground and arrest your big brother at school. but whether you choose to pursue a career as a zookeeper or police officer, know that you are valued and met some of our bravest civil servants stand with you wherever life leaves you. i recognize today to recognize two teams to competed in the national junior high finals rodeo. brooklyn bell, a 14-year-old finished in second place for breakway roping. bell with her horse became the first roper from washington state to place in the top two in the past 10 years. jays also competed in the tie down roping, team roping, and the two teamed up for ribbon roping. jason, brooklyn, if you need to rope a goat, there are plenty here in d.c. to practice on. we are so proud of you for your relationship to your animals. for your pride in pursuit of durable skills, tenacity, and

keeping our heritage and relationship to land and animals one of intimacy and necessity. not purely recreation. we are so proud of you and applaud ladd you for your work. we -- applaud you for your work. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. carter, for five minutes. mr. carter: mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize veteran avery low jr., a resident. georgia first district who served in the second world war. at 103 years young, mr. low traveled back to france to be awarded the legion of honor. this medal grants citizens or form nationals who either served france or upheld its democratic ideals. the president of the french republic macron, nominated mr. low for his honor because he

risked his life to defend french territory during world war ii. this is france's high and most prestigious national order of merit. he joined the army on june 9, 1942, where he was assigned to the 537th ordnance, h.m.a.a. -- h.m.f.a., as an automotive officer in oklahoma. there he met and married his wife in august of 1943. overwhelm four months after his wedding, he received deployment orders abroad. on june 30, 2025, mr. low attended a ceremony surrounded by his friends and family. while standing among his loved ones, mr. low held up a photograph of him in a jeep under the eiffel tour with his bride's name, generaly, written on the windshield. he wished for nothing more than for his late wife to be in attemptance who passed away five years ago. we should thank mr. low for his courageous service during world war ii and congratulate him on

receiving the prestigious legion of honor. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor miss lainey yur krishnamoorthi s from her retirement from the u.s. arm. she served in the army for 26 years. she's served in a variety of positions throughout her career in our nation's military, most notably she was senior h.r., n.c.o. an first sergeant. she specialized in personnel management, onboarding, and team leadership. in addition to her professional accomplishments, she served for over a decade playing trombone in the united states army band where she acted in multiple leadership roles. from mentoring soldiers as a first sergeant, and senior h.r. n.c.o. to now dwayneing hands on experience in human resources at fuji vegetable oil, she's consistently led with discipline, empathy, and excellence. in my -- it is my district's

honor to be home to an american patriot like lainey. we are beyond grateful for her service and dedication to the safety of the american people. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor my good friend, major general chris nori, for his departure from fort stewart. before arriving at fort stewart, he served as the director of the people first task force in the office of the deputy chief of staff at the pentagon in arlington, virginia. he assumed command of the third infantry division on june 1, 2023, leading approximately 16,500 soldiers. for the past three years, general nori has led with distinction, integrity, and unwavering commitment to our soldiers, their families, and the entire southeast georgia community. whether he was overseeing critical infrastructure modernization, advocating for mental health resources,

supporting first responders after national disasters, his dedication never faltered, it is undeniable his efforts have gained -- strengthened the backbone of our nation's defense. today we honor general nori not only for his leadership at fort stewart, but for a lifetime of service dedicated to protecting the liberties of our nation. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize 82-year-old stan can trillion for his 1,048 mile run across the state of georgia. he runs for causes and this time he's running for vet 22, an organization that works for pre-- to prevent veteran suicide t provides therapy and counseling, they are hoping to soon bring housing to their h homeless vets. his devotion to the military and veterans is rooted in his own service. he served in the marine corps. on his trek across georgia, he

will touch the florida and alabama borders before turning back north for affinity state capital. over the past 47 years, his feet have carried him across 43 countries. no matter where he goes he always makes sure to bring his american flag with him. today we honor stan for his valiant patriotism and dedication to the united states military veterans. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the representative yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. casten, for five minutes. mr. casten: mr. speaker, this week we will vote on bills to defund the police, sow the seeds for our next financial crisis, and remove any fig leaf we might hide behind when we insist the congress is part of the government. i'm naming the genius act

the way the tool is used, that's the purpose of the tool, if you watch a carpenter use a screwdriver, you can ignore somebody that says that's a tool for hammer and nails. crypto has been around since 2009. you can ignore anyone who says this is a tool for finance because it is overwhelmingly used for crime. the russians use crypto to evade sanctions and fund their war in ukraine. the north koreans to fund their nuclear program. fentanyl traffickers use it to get paid. all 100% of ransomware attacks in the united states get paid in crypto. that's a really good argument for legislation. in the crypto industry did not to hang out with criminals, they would have welcomed good legislation, but these bills are not that. the clarity act would exempt any platform that is the network for crypto transfers from any regulation at all. that might be attracted to my republican colleagues because donald trump's world liberty financial is one of those

platforms. clarity act would defund white collar police by shifting most of these coins from the well staffed, well funded securities and exchange commission to the much smaller cftc t would exempt whole classes of christiantory, meme coins, from any regulatory super vision. you know that trump down, that's a meme coin. it would allow normal healthy public companies to evade all s.e.c. regulation by tokennizing their stock so they can raise more money from less informed, less sophisticated, dumber investors. and finally, it would allow anyone to create a self-hosted wallet, like an online account, where you can transfer assets between anonymous users with absolutely no regulatory super vision. if your goal is to make money laundering easier, i have no idea how to make the clarity act better. yet somehow the genius act manages to be even worse because it connects the fraud of crypto to the real financial system.

the genius act is for so-called stable coins. i say so-called because they are neither stable nor are they coins. they are bits of computer code that you can buy and sell at any time in theory for one real u.s. dollar. as of may, there were 247 billion with a b dollars of stable coins in circulation. how is the cool useed? 6% are used to buy things. nearly 90% are used to provide a liquidity bridge between crypto currencies, the ones contemplated by the clearing act. no one will sell you a gallon of milk for a trump coin. they will take dollars. criminals need stablecoin so they can make crypto crime pay. the block chain doesn't fix this because smart criminals cover their tracks. they created these digital mixers that commingle crypto together and spit out a clean, or laundered, block chain. this is why the treasury department has described

particularly offshore mixers, as quote, a primary money laundering concern. the united states treasury department. now, of course, you can't make a profit buying and selling something at the same price. the stablecoin issuers like banks want to earn interest on the dollars they hold. except they are not regulated like banks. we saw at that -- banks. we saw this with the silicon valley bank collapsed, and the price d.c. stablecoin supposedly worth a dollar fell to 88 cents as the run on the bank exposed the company's failure to put their deposits in insured accounts. usdc only looks stable today because all you taxpayers bailed them out with the fdic. the genius act makes this problem even worse by saying that in the event of a future bank run, those uninsured crypto deposits, the irresponsible depositors, they get a claim on money before your deposits, you as a good depositor. that puts every american's deposit at risk. amendments were introduced to fix every one of those problems,

and every one of them was rejected. which brings me to a final point. you know who really benefits from crypto? corrupt politicians. last week, the united arab emirates sent $2 billion to convicted money laundering jaou, using coins issued by donald trump as family. $2 billion in their bank account. the trump family will earn about $30 million off this transaction, and will jao is now asking for a pardon. these bills will make all of those crimes easier and if we build it, crime will come. .. when crime happens when the president gets richer, when your bank fails, when your deposits are wiped out when the crypto bubble pops, just don't say you weren't warned. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. m mr. casten: i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas for five minutes.

mr. williams: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to congratulate the alito bearkats on their decisive 8-1 victory in the state baseball championship. they completed a historic season, securing a win for first time in 11 years. this team began the season with a unified goal and put in the work to bring their vision to life. after hard-fought season of long practices, sustained focus and school, these athletes, trainers, managers and coaches showed dedication, strength and an unwavering commitment to victory. i'm proud that their hard work has paid off. as these talented students prepare for the next endeavor, i wish the best of luck and blessings for an even brighter and victorious future. go, bearkats in. god we trust -- go, bearcats. in god we trust. i this year the longhorns made school history with their first ever appearance in the u.i.l. class 1-a state championship

game. their road to the championship was made even more remarkable by the challenges they overcame this season. on may 18, 2025, a tornado struck gordon, leaving the school's athletic facilities, baseball field and other resources unusable during the most crucial part of the season. the community rallied around these young men as the team practiced at neighboring schools to continue their playoff preparations. longhorns were a testament to determination, teamwork and the strength of a small texas town recovering from a natural disaster. as these students prepare for their next endeavor, i wish them the best of luck and blessings for a brighter future. go longhorns. in god we trust. i rise today to recognize the city of burlison's police department for their remarkable work supporting victims of domestic violence. the life-saving burlison victim assistance poster project began with one powerful phrase. if i had known someone like you existed, i would have gotten help sooner. far too many women live in silence, unsure of where to turn, especially while still

under the control or surveillance of an abuser. this is a critical gap not in services but in awareness and safe access to those services. recognizing the urgent need, the leaders of burlison, texas, came together to create a simple, yet profoundly effective solution. posters. these discrete posters are placed in safe, private, secure locations where a victim can view them without fear, each one includes a q.r. code that link directly to support resources and has a hotline for those without internet access. in under 30 seconds a victim can connect to confident help, shelter options and emergency services. with the support from the burlison police officer association, dedicated community stakeholders, this initiative has expanded, reaching neighboring cities, rural areas and locations across this great country. to the city of burlison police department, we thank you. your leadership and innovation has created a vital lifeline. bringing safety and hope to victims of domestic abuse.

in god we trust. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize and celebrate a milestone for the comanche chief newspaper located in my district. for over 150 years it has provided trustworthy news, thoughtful dmaryn, entertainment and vital resources for the people of comanche county. it's served as a reliable voice for our community and living record of our shared history. james claude wilkerson first bought the newspaper in june, 1925, began a proud family tradition of civic service, journalism. this year the family is celebrating an extraordinary milestone, 100 years in print. today james bradley wilkerson is a fourth generation owner, carrying on his family's legacy by serving as the paper's publisher, ensuring it continues to inform, engage and uplift its readers. as the oldest continuous business institution in comanche county, it's more than just a newspaper. it's a pillar of our community for past and future generations.

i commend the wilkerson family for their century of stewardship and i thank them for their continued commitment to delivering trustworthy news to the people of texas. in god we trust. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. garcia, for five minutes. the gentleman is recognized. mr. garcia: mr. speaker, i rise today to demand that donald trump and our attorney general come clean to the american people and release the epstein files. this weekend donald trump said, and i quote, let's not waste time and energy on jeffrey epstein, somebody that nobody cares about. well, mr. president, a lot of people actually care. we know that maga was all in on jeffrey epstein. my republican colleagues have sent letters, they've posted, they've demanded disclosure. donald trump jr., the

president's own son, has tweeted dozens of times about this case. f.b.i. director kash patel swore under oath in front of the senate that he would be transparent with the american public and release the epstein files. he said, and i want to quote, make sure the american public knows the full weight of what happened. that he would do that. that was his quote. now, in february, our attorney general pam bondi told fox news that epstein's client list was, again, and i quote, sitting on my desk right now to review. end quote. now they claim there was never a list. and this weekend donald trump claimed that the files were written by obama, hillary clinton and the biden administration. these are bizarre reversals. and it's obvious to the american public. someone is lying and someone is trying to hide something.

so let's look at the facts. we know that elon musk said donald trump is mentioned in the epstein files. we know that epstein died in a federal prison overseen by donald trump's department of justice. we know that jeffrey epstein in 2008 was given a generous nonpersecution agreement for sex trafficking charges. now, that agreement let him continue his criminal activities and that agreement was offered by alexander owe costa who was donald trump's chosen secretary of labor. that's not all. we know that donald trump and epstein had a longstanding personal relationship. epstein told one writer, and quote, i was donald trump's closest friend for 10 years. end quote. donald trump told new york magazine in 2022, and i want to quote this, quote, this is donald trump, i've known jeff for 15 years. terrific guy.

he's a lot of fun to be with. it's even said that he likes beautiful women as much as i do. and many of them are on the younger side. no doubt about it. jeffrey enjoys his social life. unquote. that's disgusting, wrong and we must inquire more information. the truth is we don't know what the facts are in this case. i can't explain why the trump administration have changed their minds on epstein. but their behavior raises questions. this is the time that we must demand answers. and the oversight committee is going to do just that. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the president. and to direct them toward the chair. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from indiana, mrs. spartz, for five minutes.

mrs. spartz: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the long-time owner and c.e.o. of the indianapolis colts. mr. irsay grew up surrounded by the family atmosphere of the colts organization. he attended and earned a degree in broadcast journalism. he sooned joined the franchise and worked at nearly every department, gaining experience that led to his appointment as general manager at the age of 24, before becoming sole owner of the team in 1997. the irsay family made history by bringing the colts to indianapolis in 1984, a transformational move that forever changed the city's sports landscape. their decision not only gave indianapolis an nfl franchise, but also helped shape its identity as a major league city. under mr. irsay's leadership, the colts went on to win the super bowl in 2007, and the

lombardi trophy toured 130 miles throughout indiana. during the tour, the colts raised over $225,000 for charity, benefiting local communities. mr. irsay left a lasting mark on the city skyline by leading the development of lucas oil stadium. this stadium became home to the colts and elevated indianapolis as a premier host city for major events, including the 2012 super bowl. when the covid-19 pandemic hit indianapolis, mr. irsay chose action and personally led a fundraising drive, raising over $1.3 million in 48 hours to provide emergency meals and resources to those in need across the city. in this difficult time, he found assets in materials for indianapolis students, raised money for community centers, and helped fund resources for frontline health care workers.

continuously charitably minded, mr. irsay and his family launched a mental health program in indiana called kicking the stigma. aimed at educating and raising mental health awareness with the goal of ending the stigma surrounding mental health. kicking the stigma has raised and committed more than $31 million toward mental health research, treatment and the awareness in the region. an avid music fan and collector, mr. irsay started the jim irsay collection, an assembly of various historic and culturally significant collector's items, detailing both american and some of the world's greatest music history. his collection has been turned into a traveling museum, hosting exhibitions nationwide, as well as loaning artifacts to museums, nonprofits and other organizations for display. mr. irsay's values of family and community are seen and heard by all the colts community.

from working with his father, robert irsay, in the early days of indianapolis colts, to continuing the legacy with his daughterring, carla irsay gordon, casey floyd and kiley jackson. jim irsay reflects generations of hard work, integrity and commitment. his legacy stands a testament of time in the colts organization as it continues to grow in indianapolis. on behalf of indiana's fifth district, and the great state of indiana, i commend mr. irsay for his valued work and determination. not only did he impact the colts franchise, but his community and charitable efforts impacted hoosiers statewide, touching upon the lives of so many individuals. from bringing the colts to indiana, to helping build a stadium that redefined the city skyline, his vision and compassion have left a lasting imprint on indiana. thank you to jim irsay. may his impact and dedication be

remembered. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the representative yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california, ms. simon, for five minutes. ms. simon: thank you, mr. speaker. i request unanimous consent to address the house for five minutes and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. simon: thank you. mr. speaker, i rise today in defense of every child in this nation who deserves to enter into a classroom and be treated with dignity, care and respect. and writing these remarks, i thought of my kindergarten teacher, ms. jasco, at elementary school in san francisco. on my first day of kindergarten, and i remember it very, very clearly, my last name starts with an s and so i sat at the

back of the classroom and i kept my head down. i was not verbatious then. within about five minutes of the class starting, and there was a lot of chatter of little children, ms. jasco noticed that my head was bowed and she brought me up to the classroom board and she saw clearly that i was a child with an acute visual impairment. she kissed me on my forehead and asked me to sit by her desk where i sat for the rest of the year. she understood me, i did not have to fight for the right to learn in that class. i sat next to the board. this week the supreme court handed the president of the united states the power to gut the department of education without congressional approval. nearly 1,400, 1,400 federal

staff at the department of education were fired, including those tasked with protecting the civil rights and the human dignity of students. the court's decision sets a dangerous precedent as it tells the executive branch that it can effectively dismantle the very agencies that congress was created, without any oversight. let us remember why the department of education exists in the first place. the department of education was not a bureaucratic creation, it wasn't an organization just developed just because to create more staff salaries. the department of education was a victory secured through the long and hard march of civil rights in this country. it was built to ensure that children in every part of this country, to make sure that they could have a real chance, not to

standardize crick limb, but to -- curriculum, but to standardize the worth of children, to guarantee that no matter your background, your race, your ability, your identity, where you lived or who you prayed to, the federal government would have the back of every student in this country. if this decision stands, the department if this decision stands, the department of education's office of civil rights will be shattered and gutted. which means in this office created and implemented and investigated when these students in this country were not treated not only with respect, with dignity. that would mean schools would not be, potentially required to provide accommodations for students of disabilities. for every mother fighting for your child with autism, for every parent fighting for your child with a visual or intellectual disability, for every child who is rolling in with your wheelchair every day,

mighty with pride and glory, you, too, can learn and be integrated, there may not be any federal protections to make sure that you are respected. rapes and sexual assaults on college campuses may no longer be investigated when the cities don't investigate those sexual assaults, the federal government, particularly the office of civil rights, under the department of education took on that role. shame on us. national stands for protect -- national standards for protecting lgbtq students because they are students, they are children, will go away. native students and back students and latino students, and students navigating poverty. and students who have disabilities may no longer have the federal support that they so deserve. this is a betrayal, it is cruel, and it is attack, a deep attack on our children. how will the united states of america compete academically, economically, or morally if the

federal government walks away from its most sacred responsibility to guarantee basic fairness in education. we cannot meet the demands of the future by returning to a past, returning to a past where only the privileged are pro protected. the work of the department of education was never about charity. many it's always been about justice. and as bell hooks taught us, teaching. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. ms. simon: is about liberation. education is about more than information. it is a practice of freedom. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from new york, ms. tenney, for five minutes. ms. tenney: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to recognize colonel john payton sveum of the civil air patrol. the u.s. air force auxiliary, an inspiration in the world of public service whose legacy

spans more than 60 years of volunteerism in defense our nation's airspace, development of youth. as civil air control's first director of government swains, colonel swannery established its presence in washington washington after a 50-year absence. his strategy more than doubled its federal funding, built trusted bipartisan relationships on the hill, and led the suc successful effort to award the civil air patrol the congressional gold medal in honor of its world war ii service. colonel sveum's lifelong commitment to cadet to liaison made civil air patrol stronger, visible, and better equipped to serve the nation. i have been proud to work with him to fight for civil air patrol funding throughout my time in congress, and thank him for his service. i'm also thankful that my son, tray, who now -- trey, who now serves as a engager in the united states marine corps, was inspired to answer the call to serve after his experience as a cadet in the civil air patrol. i extend my deepest gratitude to

colonel sveum for his service and congratulate him on his retirement. without his strategy vision and -- strategic vision and leadership, civil air patrol would not be the vell initial organization it is today. venerable organization it is today. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize the late united states air force veteran, rick m. parsons, for his remarkable service to our country. rick grew up in lynndenville, new york. after graduate interesting high school in 1962, he proceeded to enroll in the united states air force academy. after graduating from the academy and marrying his high school sweetheart, he went on to serve 26 years in the united states air force. during his tenure, rick would become the commander of the 32nd tactical fighter squadron, wolfhounds, later the 33rd tactical fighter wing. his most notable accomplishment came on february 7, 1991, when he downed an su-717, becaming

the overwhelm wing commander to record an ariel victory during operation desert storm. his life of service included two hours -- two tours in vietnam, one tour in saudi arabia, and logged over 5,000 hours of flight time. rick earned the rank of colonel in the united states air force. rick went on to lead another successful career as a financial advisor in the monument -- in monument, colorado. he oven enjoyed spending time with his fellow 1966 academy graduates and cheering on his grandchildren whether they were performing in a play or competing in sports. sadly, in 2021, rick passed away with his wife nancy by his side. on the fourth of july, the town recognized rick at its annual independence day parade. expressing gratitude for its native son, for his legacy of service, valor, and leadership. it's an honor and holy appropriate to recognize rick's exceptional service and devotion to our great nation.

mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize the life and legacy of my dear friend, senator darky lombardi jr., who passed away on november 24, 2024. he leaves behind five children, eight grandchildren, and his wife whom he happily -- was married to for over 66 years, as well as a profound legacy in service to the state of new york and our country. his wonderful grandson also served as an intern in my office. after earning a law degree from syracuse university and serving in the united states army, he returned to new york dedicating his life to public service, including 27 years in the new york state senate where he represented the 49th district. senator lombardi earned a national reputation for his accomplishments in the health field. including spearheading the nursing home without walls program, a first of its kind program that was so transformative it was replicated

in so many other states. lombardi was also devoted to his alma mater, syracuse university, and was pivotal in working with the governor of new york to facilitate the construction of the carrier dome. without his advocacy, tarky was so tenacious, the dome would never have been built. he was a one of a kind member of the greatest generation. he loved our state and country. he was a unifying force in the legislature. always bringing together members on both sides of the aisle for dinners in the legacy of reagan and o'neill and that wonderful tradition. i just want to congratulate tarky's family and so many who have done so much to help our region, upstate new york, and syracuse university and all the wonderful legacy of everyone who lives in the region and everyone from the state of new york. tarky was a dear friend. he's so missed by many of us, including me. we just love his family. we are grateful to him. before i yield, mr. speaker, i just want to say happy birthday

to my son today. for being a major in the marine corps w that i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from maryland, mr. ivey, for five minutes. mr. ivey: yes, mr. speaker. i ask to be able to address the house for five minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. ivey: that can you -- thank you. mr. speaker, i rise today with deep concern over the weaponization of i.c.e. by the trump administration. just this weekend i had a chance to see trump border czar tom homan talking about how the administration is conducting the sweeps on the streets and that they are doing it to prioritize public safety and national security. but the facts tell a different story. according to cbs, only 8% of those detained have been convicted of violent crimes. the conservative cato institute found that only 7% of detainees were violent criminals.

in fact, most detainees aren't even criminals at all. of the people in detention, about half of them have criminal records. that's 300,000 people who are detained who do not have criminal records at all. this administration's not actually prioritizing the most dangerous people, even though president trump promised on the campaign trail that that's exactly what he would do. mr. homan also said his administration always follows the law. last week a federal judge ordered i.c.e. to stop conducting roving patrols, stop the sweeping arrests without reasonable suspicion, and stop denying access to lawyers. mr. speaker, the findings in this case are shocking. this is some of the worst examples of racial profiling i have seen. even during my 12 years as a prosecutor. for example, some people were waiting at bus stops and having

coffee. were surrounded by i.c.e. agents in unmarked vehicles that sped up in their direction. they left out with masks out and guns drawn and ran immediately toward these individuals. they then handcuffed these individuals and forced them into vehicles and drove them away. all of this was done before they even asked them for identification. the men thought they were being kidnapped. some of them were then had their feet, hands, and wrists shackled, another man had a gun pointed at him. the court who was reviewing these cases questioned what was it about the bus stop that caused these i.c.e. agents to believe they had reasonable suspicion to detain these men? reasonable suspicion means that there is evidence at the time that each of these men had committed a crime or were in the process of committing a crime. what was the basis of the i.c.e. agents' reasonable suspicion? the government re-- the case reviewed it, and found that the

government said it was based on their past experiences. quote, have demonstrated that illegal aliens utilize and seek to work at certain places like getting their car washed or waiting for the bus. nothing about these men suggested that they were in the country illegally or about to commit a crime at the time that they were stopped. they didn't even ask for i.d. before they were gun faced and handcuffed and taken away. the bottom line is that these men were taken into custody simply because they were latino. clearly these tactics are unconstitutional. the use of race as the basis for grabbing people on the street. the courts long ago ruled across the line and illegal. these threaten some of the most basic and important principles that service the backbone for our nation, the rule of law. like the unlawful deportation of kill march aprayingo garcia and the willful supreme court

decision to bring him back, the trump administration is unapologetic. law be damned. in addition to being unconstitutional, this waste as great deal of tax dollars because they are detaining masses of people in these large sweeps, only to have to release them when it's proof of their legal status is shown. and also horrifies the citizens who have to go through this experience. we now have latino citizens, citizens, who are afraid to leave their house to go to work or even go to court. remember, the so-called venezuelan violent gang members deported to the gulag in el salvador, as it turned out according to the cato institute, 50 of those men, not only were they not criminals, their paperwork was in order. they were in the united states legally. and they hadn't commit ned crimes in el salvador or venezuela at all. instead of focusing on criminals they are grabbing people like the 64-year-old mother who was

gardening in new orleans. the father of three marines who has been working in the united states for decades. or yesterday, when i.c.e. raid add baseball summer camp. this is not the best use of our federal law enforcement agents. i'm a former federal and state prosecutor. i deeply respect the rule of law. and understand the responsibility elected officials have to protect it. we've got to do better than this. let's focus on getting violent criminals off the street. there are more than 100,000 open warrants in the united states on any given day. let's focus on those. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. ivey: let's move forward in a way that respects the constitution. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida, mr. haridopolos, for five minutes. mr. haired: -- mr. haridopolos:

mr. haridopolos: thank you, mr. speaker. today i recognize our chief of police in palm bay, florida. chief mario agelo. he has been serving for more than 25 years in our community and throughout his career, the chief has exemplified amazing dedication, leadership and deep commitment to public safety. in addition to his service, he founded the palm bay blue foundation, a nonprofit that supports the well-being of his department's employees and their families. so on behalf of a grateful community, i want to thank the chief for his outstanding service and the commitment to the people of palm bay. mr. speaker, i rise today to congratulate three amazing school districts in my community. bravard, indian river and orange county have each earned the distinguished a grade from the education standards in florida.

it is a true honor to represent these school districts for their hard work and of course, most importantly, the hard work of the students and the classrooms and teachers that lead them. as a former teacher myself, at the college level, we all understand the commitment and importance of education. it is the ultimate civil right. it unlocks so much potential and it makes sure that america stays number one in the world in intellectual capacity. so these a rateings are proof that florida's education system works. we are a state that believes in school choice, where the parents, not the bureaucrats, have the final say in what their child -- in where their child goes to school each and every day. i'm very proud of the school districts for doing the right thing and making education a priority and leading the way so that florida can truly be the future of not only space, but of all intellectual abilities. and so with that, mr. speaker, i thank each of these counties, the teachers, the adminute

straight, the team that makes -- the an mid straighters, the team -- the administrators, the teams that make these grade a school districts. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida for five minutes. mr. frost: mr. speaker, i rise today to shine light on a moral atrocity going on in my home state of florida. an immigrant internment camp that donald trump, ron desantis and his administration have propped up in the middle of an abandoned airfield deep in the florida everglades. a place where nearly 1,000 humans are being forced to live in a tent city, in the middle of the hot florida summer, hot sun, where folks are not getting enough food, detainees are exposed to the heat, wildlife, mosquitoes that can potentially carry disease, stripped of their civil rights and as of this past saturday, cut off from legal

counsel. and while this humanitarian nightmare unfolds, soulless politicians like ron desantis and donald trump, kristi noem, grin and call this place -- i'm actually not even going to use the name that they're calling it. and dignify it. but they sell merch, they make jokes, they print hats with cartoon alligators dressed up as i.c.e. agents and they laugh as people and families are suffering. i can tell you the amount of constituents i've heard from, their dad is in this facility, haven't heard from them for weeks. no one with an eyes and a conscience can ignore what this really is. it's an internment camp, a place full of people who look like me, latinos, haitian men, subjugated to inhumane conditions under the guise of immigration enforcement. it's disgusting. it's un-american. it demands oversight. members of congress have a legally protected right to versht of immigrant detention centers.

that means that we have the power to show up unannounced, as i have on other occasion, and see what's going on with our own eyes. that was my plan and the plan my fellow florida congressional democrats last week, we were ready to do our jobs. somehow word got out to the desantis administration that we were showing up and so they decided to invite us at the same date and time we were going to show up anyway. but we took them up on that. we went in the facility and, here to talk a little bit about my experience there. the state of florida and d.h.s., they got wind of our visit, they got scared, they invited us, and of course what we got was a sanitized version of the way things usually are. but even that sanitized version to me was abhorrent conditions. you know, i also heard reports that the night before we showed up, magically the detainees got the first shower they'd had in a while.

they got one of their first good meals and it's important why the unannounced visits are so important to see how things are. a clean cage is still a cage and at the end of the day, in this facility, we have 32 men being crammed in each cage. about four to six cages in each tent. each tent, you know, we brought a thund they were in there, -- y are mom, was -- thermometer, was 84, 85 degrees, of course in the hot florida sun. i'll always remember walking in that front door and looking at these gentlemen in there, everyone screaming for help. one guy asking me to call his family. he was screaming out a phone number. i couldn't hear him, i couldn't get all the digits down. only three sources of water per cage. the spigots connected to the toilets. much like the jail units we've seen. but usually in those jails it's one of those units for two to four people, not three for 32 people. but i got to tell you, one of the most emotional parts for me

was when we looked at the cages from afar, we weren't let in the tent, but standing in the doorway, hearing those chants, freedom, freedom, libertad, people yelling. this isn't security, it's cruelty. it's not immigration policy, it's dehumanizing people. trump said this was about keeping people safe. he said it's about going after criminals but we all know it's one big lie. hundreds of the people being held in this internment camp have no criminal charges. i won't stay silent while our government turns the everglades land, of which protecting it used to be a bipartisan thing, and the state is spending $450 million from our division of emergency management to run this internment camp. and we're in hurricane season. i don't care if you're a democrat, republican, i don't care what you are. the state -- the department of energy management has the ability to spend up to $500 million without going to the legislature on emergency money.

they're going up to $450 million. we're about to go into hurricane season which means that when a hurricane is barreling toward our state, they're not going to be able to do what they need to do immediately to save lives because every minute matters. they'll have to go back to the legislature and beg for more money. because they spent $450 million of our money on a damn internment camp in the middle of the everglades. along with partners, we're going to do something about it. of course litigation has been filed. i think what's important for people to know is that this is a federal facility, we were told that i.c.e. is calling the shots here. federal facility run and operated by the state. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from oregon, ms. bonamici, for five minutes. ms. bonamici: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the older americans act. which president johnson signed into law on july 14 of 1965.

older americans act programs serve about 11 million older adults across the country, including 212,000 people in my home state of oregon. the act provides vital services, including meal delivery, transportation, caregiver support, job training, and protection from elder abuse. programs that help older americans maintain dignity, health and independence as they age. president trump recently began dismantling the administration for community living, which implements the older american programs and disburses funds. it is the only government entity that advocates for older adults. almost half the staff in this office have already been laid off. jeopardizing the vital programs that support so many aging americans and their families every single day. the older americans act is a long-time bipartisan commitment. we must fight every effort to

strip these services from the 11 million americans who benefit from these programs in every congressional district, in every state in this country. i look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to bring back the cuts, to reverse those cuts and strongly support the older americans act. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until noon today.